Down the Mighty Mississippi: A 1939 Chevy Adventure on Barrels and Dreams
In the summer of 1955, when America was riding high on post-war optimism and the spirit of adventure ran as deep as the Mississippi itself, three men from Saint Paul, Minnesota embarked on a journey that would test their ingenuity, determination, and friendship against the legendary river’s unforgiving currents.
The Unlikely Crew and Their Floating Contraption
Sam Gray, David Rutford, and Fred Hallberg weren’t 
The heart of their contraption was a battle-scarred 1939 Chevrolet that had already traveled 172,000 miles before finding its second life as a river boat engine. The trio had purchased the aging automobile for just $15, transforming it into the world’s most unusual marine propulsion system. The car’s rear wheels pressed against another set of wheels, which in turn spun a propeller that would push them down America’s greatest waterway. Even more ingeniously, they rigged the car’s steering wheel to control the raft’s rudder, creating a floating automobile that could navigate the Mississippi’s twists and turns.
The Journey Begins
On a June morning in 1955, the three adventurers pushed off from Saint Paul, their homemade craft groaning under the weight of supplies, dreams, and one determined Chevrolet engine. The Mississippi stretched before them like a brown ribbon leading to adventure, promising both wonder and hardship in equal measure.
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Trials Along the River
The river tested them almost immediately. 
As they continued south, passing the confluence where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, their mechanical troubles multiplied. Outside Memphis, Tennessee, a bearing on the propeller shaft burned out, threatening to end their adventure hundreds of miles from their goal. Fortunately, the river community that has always existed along the Mississippi came to their aid. A passing barge crew lent them tools, and with typical American ingenuity, the trio managed to repair their unique vessel and continue downstream.
But mechanical problems weren’t their only concern. Food became increasingly scarce as they discovered they had an unwelcome passenger: a rat that had been steadily depleting their supplies. Despite their best efforts at fishing—a skill that proved maddeningly elusive throughout their entire journey—the river refused to provide a single catch. The mighty Mississippi, teeming with catfish and other species, kept its bounty to itself.
The river presented other challenges that no amount of preparation could have anticipated. Clouds of mosquitoes descended upon them in the humid evenings, turning rest into an ordeal. Driftwood lurked beneath the surface like submerged mines, threatening to punch holes in their barrel foundation. The powerful backwash from passing commercial barges—the giants of river commerce—tossed their small craft about like a cork, testing both their seamanship and their vessel’s structural integrity.
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Triumph in the Crescent City
Despite every obstacle the river could throw at them, Sam Gray, David Rutford, and Fred Hallberg persevered. On July 25, 1955, after weeks of battling currents, mechanical failures, hunger, and the elements, they achieved their goal. Their impossible raft, still powered by the indomitable 1939 Chevrolet, carried them into New Orleans—the Crescent City that has welcomed river travelers for centuries.
The sight of their ramshackle craft putting into port must have been something to behold: three sunburned, mosquito-bitten men aboard a platform of barrels and planks, their ancient Chevrolet still chugging faithfully after powering them over a thousand miles down America’s greatest river.
The Return Journey
Having conquered the Mississippi, the trio faced a new challenge: getting home. True to the practical spirit that had carried them this far, they planned to drive the very same Chevrolet that had powered their raft back to Minnesota. After weeks of marine duty, the old car was pressed back into road service for the journey north.
In a testament to both the durability of pre-war American automotive engineering and the mechanical skills of the three adventurers, the 1939 Chevrolet completed the return trip to Saint Paul in just 49 hours. The car consumed five gallons of oil during the drive—a small price to pay for a vehicle that had just completed one of the most unusual double duties in transportation history.
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A Testament to American Spirit
